Guidance

Heavenly Father,

You sent your Word to bring us truth and your Spirit to make us holy. Through them, we come to know the mystery of Your life. We worship You, the one true God, one God in three Persons. We praise Your name for You are our mighty savior. We cling to You for You are our loving Father. We obey You for You are our majestic creator.

Yet, I confess that often my words and actions do not honor You. I have not loved You with my whole heart and I have not loved my neighbor as myself.

(take a moment to reflect on the past day and confess your sins.)

I am sorry for my sins and pray for Your great mercy. For the sake of Jesus Christ, please forgive me of all my sins.

Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 
Give us this day our daily bread;
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.

Amen

Prayer of the Day:

Dear Jesus,

As we approach the season of Advent, we remember that You are not a distant God. You came to us. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. You humbled Yourself and lived with us for 33 years. You healed people. You forgave people. You raised people from the dead.

You poured out Your Spirit upon the world. I ask for Your presence. Fill my heart with Your Holy Spirit. Do not hide Your face from me, rather draw me near to You. 

Heavenly Father, You bid us to come to You in prayer. You have said we can come to Your throne in confidence as a child comes to their Father. I thank you for inviting me, listening to me, and answering my prayers. Help me to continue to come to You in prayer every day, throughout the day.

You give us Your Word through which You reveal Yourself to us. Yet, Your Word is not mere print on a page or spoken sentences. It is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges our thoughts and the attitudes of our heart. Draw me to Your Word each day and through it, give me faith and strengthen me to live for You.

You also come to us in Your Word through the sacraments. In baptism, You wrote Your name on my heart and called me Your child. In communion, You give me Your very Body and Blood for the forgiveness of my sins and strengthening of my faith. May I live each day in the promise of my baptism and may I be nourished each week by Your Body and Blood.

Be with Faith Lutheran Church. Fill our worship services and Bible studies with Your presence. Move in us to create and strengthen faith, change hearts, and transform our minds. May Your Spirit work through us that those around us would feel and see Your presence through us and be drawn to You. Pour out Your Spirit upon Wesley Chapel and the surrounding areas and raise the spiritually dead to life.

Amen.

The Psalms:

The Psalms have long been considered the prayer book of the Bible and have been used as prayers by countless Christians over the centuries. So, we join them in this practice and pray a Psalm.

Psalm 143:1-12

1 Lord, hear my prayer,
listen to my cry for mercy;
in your faithfulness and righteousness
come to my relief.
2 Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous before you.
3 The enemy pursues me,
he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness
like those long dead.
4 So my spirit grows faint within me;
my heart within me is dismayed.
5 I remember the days of long ago;
I meditate on all your works
and consider what your hands have done.
6 I spread out my hands to you;
I thirst for you like a parched land.

7 Answer me quickly, Lord;
my spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me
or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I entrust my life.
9 Rescue me from my enemies, Lord,
for I hide myself in you.
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.

11 For your name’s sake, Lord, preserve my life;
in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.
12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;
destroy all my foes,
for I am your servant.

(Take a few minutes to add your personal prayers, now.)

Conclude your time of prayer with either Luther’s morning or evening prayer, depending on what time of day it is.

Luther’s Morning Prayer:

I thank you, my Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.

Luther’s Evening Prayer:

I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray You to forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt